Just A Sparrow
Posted by O. Bredenberg on July 28, 2004
Q: I have raised a baby sparrow that the cat nabbed and brought in the house. It was about a week old. It is now eating on its own. About 6 weeks old. I am now feeding it a mixture of softened puppy chow, boiled egg yolk, and softened corn flakes. I also give it little pieces of peaches and carrots. I also have wild bird seed in its cage. I have seen it drink water, so I know it can do that fine. My question is what is the correct food for it to stay healthy as it matures? I know I can not release it until I find someone who can teach it to live on it's own in the wild, or can I do that myself? Thank you very much.
A: You've done a remarkable job of saving the life of this baby bird. Good work! The real challenge now is releasing it into the wild. Some bird species like hawks and owls are taught the "ways of the world" by their parents and take months to fledge. Sparrows on the other hand are pushed out of the nest as soon as possible. No matter how well someone may try to teach this bird how to survive it's unlikely that it will help. The best advice I can give you is to turn the bird loose near where it was found and hope for the best.
Jim Berry ( July 29, 2004)